There aren’t many greener countries than the Netherlands, where biking and rail riding are the two preferred modes of transport.

There aren’t many greener countries than the Netherlands, where biking and rail riding are the two preferred modes of transport. Don’t expect luxury, but comfort, convenience, and user-friendliness.

Domestic trains run from very early morning (around 5 a.m.) to late at night (1 a.m.). Distances are short and trains are fast—the longest ride (from capital city Amsterdam to Maastricht) takes just 2 ½ hours. Better still, trains are incredibly frequent : the smallest station on the most remote line offers an hourly service. And, on main lines, there can be up to eight trains an hour. First class is a good choice, especially during crowded peak times.

There are no reservations on domestic services. International trains, though, require a pre-assigned seat even for a domestic journey (included when you purchase your ticket from Rail Europe). If you travel with a pass, you can purchase a reservation either from us or locally. The pass lets you roam freely (no need to take the international trains). Keep it handy and walk (or bike !) to the nearest station. You’ll feel like you’re riding the New York subway system—but with really plush seats !

Amsterdam is also very well connected to the rest of Europe. Hi-speed Thalys trains run frequently to Brussels and Paris. ICE hi-speed trains go to Basel and Frankfurt, and the ultra-comfortable City Night Line trains take you overnight to Copenhagen, Munich, Zurich, Milan, and Berlin in a luxury cabin with private bathroom and breakfast served in your comfy bed, complete with duvet and pillow.

Schipol International Airport is very well connected to the entire domestic network, and offers direct service to Brussels and Paris via Thalys. So depending on your plans, there’s no need to sleep in Amsterdam on your first or last night in the Netherlands.

Good to know : many stations offer bike-rentals. You can travel on the train with your bike, and conveniently return it in a different city. Just look for the bike rental office in your station—and go green !

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Poor Advice | Terence c. | 27a januaro 2017
"Having not used this service before and being a foreigner we saw the advice on printed Thalys ticket that "for safety reasons, your presence on the Thalys platform is mandatory at least 2 minutes before the train's departure and assumed the process would be simple. However, when we got to the Gare Nord station and were directed by locals to a lift (we had baggage and my wife had hurt her back after slipping on ice in Switzerland) we got stuck at turnstyle type entry as our printed Thalys "ticket" did not get us through. We were severely delayed as locals tried to help (even holding ticked over scanner, etc.) and communication was difficult (we do not speak French). By the time we were redirected to another entrance that did not require turn-style access (I assume the first access we were directed to by locals was for Metro and not Thalys train) we had missed the train. We were then forced to by new tickets at Euro 130 each (Euro 90 for my under 26 year old daughter) ! The original tickets cost Euro 20 ! (hence my rating of 5 stars for "Value for money). At the price of Euro 130 each I would have flown and not take the train, but had no options at that point. Thankfully the train trip itself was most pleasant and relaxing with access to WiFi while we drank a bottle of red French wine to drown our sorrows.
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Good trip | Krishnaraj v. | 15a januaro 2017
"There were no other hassles as such. We felt that the price of the tickets were high.
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Convenience

Fantastic | Michiel Christiaan l. | 12a januaro 2017
"The train was on time and the staff was very friendly
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Value for money

Convenience

Christmas Market 2016 | Jennifer s. | 12a januaro 2017
"The train was crowded and uncomfortable. It was also very hot. The security lines were backed up because of a faulty piece of equipment. We barely made it on the train on time.
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